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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. march — the month
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. plane — a tool
  6. march — the month
  7. wind — moving air
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. spring — the season
  11. spring — a coil
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. chip — to eat
  14. chip — for betting
  15. wind — moving air
  16. spring — of water
  17. march — music
  18. wind — to turn a key

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com